The studies are designed to evaluate the clinical benefits achieved by iron chelation in patients with chronic iron overload. Detailed assessment of cardiac, endocrine, and hepatic function are performed prior to initiation of chelation therapy and these analyses are repeated periodically during the course of iron removal. Desferrioxamine is administered either intramuscularly or subcutaneously and the amount of iron removed is determined by accurate measurement of urinary iron excretion and careful recording of total iron administered by transfusion. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Nienhuis, A.W>, Delea, C.A., Aamodt, R., Bartter, F.C., and Anderson, W.F.: Evaluation of desferrioxamine and ascorbic acid for the treatment of chronic iron overload. National Science Foundation Birth Defect Series, 12: 177-185, 1976. Propper, R.D., Rosenthal, A., Cooper, B., Rufo, R.R., Bunn, H.F., Nienhuis, A.W., Anderson, W.F., and Nathan, D.G.: Continuous subcutaneous administration of desferrioxamine in patients with iron overload. New Engl. J. Med., 1977, in press.